Amari
Amari is the “one true god” worshipped predominantly in the Three Kingdoms but with adherents in neighbouring lands. History The worship of Amari began in the year 45 BU, with the appearance of a mysterious woman known to history only as “the Sibyl”. The Sibyl preached a message of unity, tolerance, balance and moderation at a time when the Quirinal Empire was in political, social and economic disarray. The worship of Amari was established in the Three Kingdoms by the time of the Council of Guelmo (1 BU). It would be another 150 years, however, before the Archimandritic Trierarchy would be achieved which codified the sharing of religious authority in the Three Kingdoms. The first Archimandrite was adlected in Gallias in 113 AU and the first two Peers of Amari were created in the same year. This gave Gallias a greater claim on directing the faith, a claim that caused disputes to arise with the other two kingdoms. In 139 AU, Diutir adlected its own Archimandrite despite the protest of Gallias and their claim to primacy and in 148 AU Ispalis followed suit with its own Archimandrite. The inability to resolve this tension led to the short but bloody War of the Archimandrites (aka the Brother-Sister War) in 151 AU. The war ended with the Council of Charinton later that year. The Council laid the framework for the Archimandritic Trierarchy which has been maintained to the present day and ensures that the Three Kingdoms co-operate in matters spiritual and temporal. Major centres of worship include Charinton in Gallias, Barburg in Diutir and Metragir in Ispalias. Charinton is home to the great Basilica of Amari. Theology Amari is given the epithet of “Mother-Father of the World”. The symbol of the faith is a disc (representing the world in its essential unity) containing two figures, often androgynous and simply-dressed (representing the idea that although difference exists in the world there is an essential, underlying unity in all things). The worship of Amari promotes balance, harmony, co-operation, negotiation, diplomacy and moderation. Priests of Amari are granted to power to repeal those beings animated by the Harrow apparently because that animating force originates from outside the natural order of things and as such cannot be reconciled within the worldview of Amari. Priesthood Priests of Amari are found in every community in the Three Kingdoms. Although they are forbidden to hold public office they are always close to the centre of political power in order to offer guidance and promote co-operation, drawing people’s attention to those aspects of life which unites people rather than that which divides them. The Theological College of Charinton in Gallias is the pre-eminent school of the Amarian faith although Diutir and Ispalis also graduate priests at local places of learning. Priests of Amari are obligated to attempt to resolve a conflict to everyone’s mutual satisfaction and to acknowledge all parties that have a legitimate interest in such a conflict. Priests are expected to address imbalances of justice and poverty, preferably by encouraging systemic change. Priests are expected to acknowledge Amari with a prayer when they witness a particularly aesthetically pleasing example of harmony or symmetry whether in art, nature or social behaviour. The priesthood is divided into three broad orders: the Order of Knowledge, the Order of Light and the Order of Life. The members of each order strive to embody a particular aspect of Amari. There was, historically, a fourth order - the Order of War - but that was disbanded in 211 AU since the Three Kingdoms were at peace. The Orders of Light and Life took on some of the duties associated with the Order of War but their influence in church politics has waned in the relatively peaceful last two centuries. This has allowed the Order of Knowledge to rise to prominence. A priest of the Order of Knowledge (the largest and most active of the three orders) carries the title of “ lector” (from the Quirinal meaning “reader”). This title signifies that in addition to being well-versed in matters of faith lectors are often also experts in history, language, politics and diplomacy. This expertise often proves essential in resolving social tensions by drawing on knowledge of the socio-political context that gives rise to conflicts. Many lectors are sedentary, devoting their lives to study and contemplation. Others are sent by the church to work with a specific community or to resolve a particular crisis while some lectors are itinerant, promoting the worship of Amari wherever they go but also gathering knowledge so the church is better informed about the world in which they must work. Ceremonial garb for lectors consists of a light blue, robe-like garment sown together of two pieces of cloth down the front and back and worn over similarly coloured blue clothing. In less formal situations, lectors may generally dress as they see fit as long as they are moderate in their choices and light blue is preferred. Some lectors like to wear two almost but not quite identical shades of the same colour. Priests of the Orders of Light or Life carry the titles of "illuminator" or "restorer" respectively. They have many of the same duties and responsibility of lectors. In addition, illuminators are deployed by the church hierarchy into places of spiritual darkness - communities where apostasy or heresy flourishes or where the undead grow numerous. Historically, the order could tend towards inquisitorial behaviour. Restorers are the first to respond to widespread threats to health - war, disease, famine and so on. A priest of the Order of War was known as a "venator". Ceremonial garb for illuminators consists of black robes over white clothing, while restorers wear white robes over black clothing. Historically, venators wore dark blue robes and clothing. Higher-ranking priests are called mandrites. Mandrites have responsibility for larger administrative areas called cleruchies (of which there are 24 in Gallias, for example) or large cities. There is also a pair of mandrites who oversee each order; the Order of Knowledge, for example, is administered by Mandrites Paullus and Atia. At the head of the church are the archimandrites. An archmandrite is one of the three highest-ranking ecclesiastical leaders of the church of Amari in the Three Kingdoms. At present, these three leaders are Archimandrite Madeus of Gallias, Archimandrite Schylgera of Diutir and Archimandrite Sartilla of Ispalis. The Church also controls a large body of soldiers, drawn from all over the Three Kingdoms. This army (officialy known as the Grand Army of the Sacred Kingdoms of Amari) is the principal military force in the Three Kingdoms and they are garrisoned through these lands. Although the garrisons are maintained and directed by local lords and ladies, the soldiers' first loyalty is to the Church. The soldiers of the Grand Army wear distinctive blue tabards marked with a white circle. The common soldiers are required to profess their devotion to Amari while the upper ranks are filled with commanders known for their piety as well as martial ability. Holy Days Priests of Amari have a central role in the New Year Festival that signals the end of winter and the beginning of spring, coordinating rituals that emphasise the cyclical and shared nature of life. Other important days include Revelation (first day of Winds, commemorating the appearance of the Sibyl), Confrontation (fifteenth day of Reaping, commemorating the struggle between the worshippers of Amari and Ornathum) and Resolution (last day of Locking, commemorating the creation of the Archimandritic Trierarchy). Peers of Amari A Peer of Amari is a man or woman imbued with holy power and charged by Amari to uphold not only the faith but also the serve and protect the innocent regardless of their religious or political persuasion. Female Peers usually take the title "Lady" and male Peers "Sir". Each of the Three Kingdoms maintain equal numbers of Peers; there are always four from each kingdom, two men and two women, for a total of twelve Peers. Each Peer chooses a squire who will eventually be elevated to fill a vacancy among the twelve. The method by which one Peer is guided towards a successor is always unique and is revealed by Amari after a long period of fasting and prayer. That said, the choice of at least one successor has been politically motivated, as for example was the case with Sir Gariyard the Lamentable. Traditionally, a Peer is granted a posthumous epithet which emphasises their greatest virtues; the recently deceased Sir Andros, for example, is now known as the Incorruptible. The current Twelve Peers are as follows (note that no replacement has yet been found for Sir Andros and his name is retained on this list for the sake of completeness): Lady Merovin Anafrid Lady Sofia Boldheart Lady Clarissa of Tierwold Lady Camilla d’Arelian Severina Lady Constance Whitethorn Sir Ebroin Eligian Sir Vorther Landress Sir Andros Lauder Sir Valentus Nicenius Sir Stilicho Silvercloak Sir Thietmar of Abrantia Famous Peers of the past include Lady Arytha of Frankland (best known for her victorious battle against fire demons) and Sir Jorge Mikhel of Wayham (a renowned protector of children). Paragons of Amari Paragons of Amari are heroic individuals of great ability who have been revered by later generations for their service to Amari. The paragons are generally considered to be historical, although some of the earliest ones may have been modelled on existing figures of legend – this is the general view of the figure of Cappellus, a companion of the Sibyl. Scholars have drawn comparisons between the folk heroes of Angeltir and the paragons but the key difference is that the paragons are not venerated in the same way. Worshippers of Amari may be inspired by the example of the paragons and may even appeal to their spirits for guidance but the paragons do not grant powers, spells or other blessings of their own accord. Any such boon comes from Amari. Notable paragons include Viatrix the Wanderer, Armala the Guardian, Gertrude the Defender and Seymon the Wise. International relations The worship of Amari in Angeltir has always been laden with political implications. The First War of Unification (which arose at the same time as the collapse of the Quirinal Empire) was – at least in part – a religious war. The Three Kingdoms tried to incorporate Angeltir into their state and to spread the worship of Amari in the process. For the eighty years after the war, there was very little contact between the Three Kingdoms and Angeltir. As relations normalised around 80 AU, small communities of Amarians were established in Angeltir. In 95 AU, the so-called Swinedale Massacre occurred, in which dozens of Amarians were murdered by locals for reasons that have been hotly debated ever since. This event signalled the end of tolerance for that religion in Angeltir and the renewal of tensions between Angeltir and the Three Kingdoms. The Second War of Unification began in 172 AU when the Three Kingdoms invaded Angeltir, claiming that the Shell Islands (a protectorate of Angeltir) were being persecuted for their faith in Amari. For the last two hundred years, the connection between Angeltir and the Three Kingdoms has had peaks and troughs. There have been missionary efforts but the people of Angeltir have been typically cool towards these efforts, perceiving overtones of cultural imperialism. That said, the past two decades has been a high watermark in terms of mutual tolerance and appreciation. Trade and diplomatic ties have improved and small groups of representatives of Amari have made the journey to Angeltir. Category:Deities